iron curtain see under iron

iron /īˈərn/

noun

1. A metallic element (symbol Fe; atomic no 26), the most widely used of all the metals
2. A weapon, instrument or utensil made of iron
3. An appliance for smoothing cloth
4. A pistol or revolver (slang)
5. A golf club with a metal head
6. Strength
7. A medicinal preparation of iron
8. (in pl) fetters, chains
9. A theatre safety curtain (archaic; orig short for iron curtain below)
10. A stirrup
11. (usu in pl) supports for weak or malformed legs

adjective

1. Formed of iron
2. Resembling iron
3. Harsh, grating
4. Stern
5. Not to be broken
6. Robust
7. Insensitive
8. Inflexible

transitive verb

1. To smooth with an iron
2. To arm with iron
3. To hit (a golf ball) with an iron
4. To fetter
5. To smooth, clear up (with out; figurative)

iˈroner noun

1. A person who irons
2. An iron for pressing clothes

iˈroning noun

1. The act or process of smoothing with hot irons
2. Clothes, etc that are to be, or have been, ironed

iˈronlike adjective

iˈrony adjective

1. Made, consisting of, rich in iron
2. Like iron
3. Hard

Iron Age noun (archaeology)

The stage of culture of a people using iron as the material for their tools and weapons

iˈronbark noun

Any of several eucalyptus trees with rough bark and yielding durable timber

iˈron-bound adjective

1. Bound with iron
2. Unyielding
3. Rugged, as a coast

iˈron-cased adjective

iˈron-clad adjective

1. Clad in iron
2. Covered or protected with iron

noun

A ship covered with iron plates

iˈron-clay noun

Clay-ironstone

Iron Cross noun

A Prussian war medal instituted in 1813, revived in 1870 and 1914 and reinstated by Hitler as a German war medal in 1939

Iron Crown noun

The crown of Lombardy, so named from a thin band of iron said to be made from one of the nails of the Cross

iron curtain noun

1. The safety curtain in a theatre, orig made of iron (archaic)
2. An impenetrable barrier to observation or communication, esp (with caps) between the former Soviet bloc and the West

iron-fisˈted adjective

Exercising strict, despotic control

iˈron-founder noun

A person who founds or makes castings in iron

iˈron-foundry noun

iˈron-glance noun

Specular iron

iron-grayˈ or iron-greyˈ adjective

Of a grey colour like that of iron freshly cut or broken

noun

This colour

iron hand noun

Strict, despotic control (the iron hand is sometimes hidden in the velvet glove, qv)

iron-handˈed adjective

iron-heartˈed adjective

1. Having a heart as hard as iron
2. Unfeeling

iron horse noun

A worn-out circumlocution for a railway engine

iˈroning-board noun

A smooth board covered with cloth, usu on a stand, on which clothes, etc are ironed

iron-liqˈuor noun

Iron acetate, a dyers' mordant

iron lung noun

An apparatus consisting of a chamber that encloses a patient's chest, the air pressure within the chamber being varied rhythmically so that air is forced into and out of the lungs, a respirator

iron maiden noun

An old instrument of torture, consisting of a box lined with iron spikes in which a prisoner was fastened

iron man noun

1. A man of extraordinary strength (esp Aust)
2. (the winner of) a test of endurance at a surf carnival, comprising swimming, surfing and running events (Aust)
3. A pound note (orig Aust informal) or a dollar (US informal)

Iˈronman noun

A long-distance triathlon race consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.2-mile run

iˈronmaster noun

A proprietor of an ironworks

iˈron-mine noun

iˈron-miner noun

iˈron-mining noun

iˈronmonger noun

A dealer in ironmongery or, loosely, in household goods and equipment generally

iˈronmongery noun

1. Articles made of iron
2. Domestic hardware

iron mould (earlier iˈron-mole, Scot iˈron-mail) noun

(OE mal mole, spot) a spot left on wet cloth after touching iron

iˈron-on adjective

Designed to be attached by pressing with a hot iron

iron ore noun

iron oxide noun

Ferric oxide

iron-panˈ noun

A hard layer in sand or gravel, due to percolation of water precipitating iron salts

iron pyrites plural noun

Common pyrites, sulphide of iron

iron ration noun

A ration of concentrated food, esp for an extreme emergency

iˈron-red noun

A pigment derived from ferric oxide, used as a colorant in ceramics

iˈron-sand noun

1. Sand containing particles of iron ore
2. Steel filings used in fireworks

iˈron-sick adjective (nautical)

Having the iron bolts and spikes much corroded

Iˈronside or Iˈronsides noun

1. A nickname for a man of iron resolution (eg Oliver Cromwell)
2. A Puritan cavalryman
3. A Puritan
4. (in pl) a name given to Cromwell's cavalry

iron-sidˈed adjective

1. Having a side of, or as hard as, iron
2. Rough
3. Hardy

iˈronsmith noun

A worker in iron, blacksmith

iˈronstone noun

1. Any iron-ore, esp carbonate
2. Hard white earthenware

iˈronware noun

Wares or goods of iron

iron-willedˈ adjective

Firmly determined

iron-wittˈed adjective (Shakespeare)

Unfeeling, insensible

iˈronwood noun

Timber of great hardness, and any of various trees producing it

iron-wordˈed adjective (Tennyson)

Expressed in strong terms

iˈronwork noun

1. The parts of a building, etc, made of iron
2. Anything of iron, esp artistic work
3. (often in pl) an establishment where iron is smelted or made into heavy goods

pump iron see under pump¹

rule with a rod of iron

To rule with stern severity

strike while the iron is hot

To seize one's opportunity while the circumstances are favourable

too many irons in the fire

Too many responsibilities, undertakings, etc to cope with at once